Cacus facts for kids
Cacus is a scary monster from Roman mythology. He was a giant shepherd who lived in a dark cave in the Aventine Forest in Italy. Cacus was very unusual because he had three heads and could breathe fire! His parents were said to be Hephaestus, the god of fire, and Medusa, the monster with snakes for hair.
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Cacus and Hercules
The famous hero Hercules was on one of his amazing adventures. He was driving a herd of special cattle that belonged to a giant named Geryon. Hercules was passing through Italy with these cattle when Cacus saw them.
The Stolen Cattle
Cacus was very sneaky. He decided to steal some of Hercules's cattle. To make it hard for Hercules to find them, Cacus dragged the cattle backwards into his cave. This way, their footprints would point the wrong way, confusing anyone tracking them!
Hercules Finds the Thief
The next morning, Hercules quickly noticed some of his cattle were missing. He followed the tracks, even though they were confusing. He soon found Cacus's cave. Cacus had blocked the entrance with a huge rock. But Hercules was incredibly strong. He easily tossed the giant rock aside!
The Battle with Cacus
When Hercules entered the cave, Cacus tried to scare him away. He breathed fire and smoke at the hero. But Hercules was not afraid. He fought Cacus bravely. In the end, Hercules won the battle and defeated the fire-breathing monster.
After defeating Cacus, Hercules built a special altar to Zeus, the king of the gods. Some stories say that it wasn't Hercules who killed Cacus. They say a big shepherd named Garanus or Recaranus, who was a friend of Hercules, actually defeated Cacus.
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